Timberwolves Vs Trail Blazers at Moda Center after Wolves surrender 135 to Sixers
The upcoming timberwolves vs trail blazers game on Feb. 24, 2026, at 9: 00 p. m. CST (10: 00 p. m. ET) matters because Minnesota arrives in Portland coming off a 27-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in which the Sixers poured in 135 points, costing the Wolves a chance to climb in the Western Conference race.
Timberwolves Vs Trail Blazers
Minnesota travels to the Moda Center on Feb. 24, 2026, with television coverage on Peacock and radio coverage on KFAN FM, Wolves App and iHeart Radio. The preview for this matchup notes that Minnesota had a clear standings opening — Denver lost, the Lakers lost and Houston stumbled — which left the door open for Minnesota to position itself for a tie for the 3-seed. Instead, the Wolves were humiliated at home by Philadelphia, a defeat that reset the math and left them staring at the 6-seed and play-in danger.
How the loss to Philadelphia unfolded
The 76ers attacked the perimeter and finished 57 percent from three, making 21 of 37 attempts. Minnesota managed just 10-for-33 from beyond the arc; that 33-point swing from three-pointers alone was a major factor in the 27-point defeat. Tyrese Maxey and company got comfortable early on the second night of a back-to-back, and Minnesota’s closeouts were late, rotations were sluggish and shooters were routinely wide open. The Sixers consistently got clean looks in rhythm, and the Wolves fell into a trade-baskets pattern the roster cannot sustain — they do not have the offensive consistency to win 135-130 style track meets every night.
Available lineup and key absences
Personnel problems sharpened the loss. Rudy Gobert was suspended after the Marvin Bagley flagrant. Naz Reid was out with shoulder soreness. Julius Randle was apparently under the weather but gave it a go. When you remove Gobert and Naz from the equation, you’re not just losing size — you’re losing the defensive backbone and a key offensive release valve. The preview emphasizes that even when Gobert is available, Minnesota’s defense has been suspect at times, and without him the floor often drops out completely.
Standings ripple and the road trip ahead
The defeat stung in part because of the standings context. Denver dropped to Golden State. The Lakers fell to Boston. Houston stumbled against New York on Saturday. If Minnesota had handled its business, the Wolves would have been neck-and-neck with the Nuggets for the 3-seed. Instead they’re again facing the 6-seed and play-in territory. The schedule now sends Minnesota to Portland, then to Los Angeles for a date with the Clippers, and finally to Denver on March 1. If the Wolves string together three wins on this trip, they’d be right back in the mix and would have likely leapfrogged Denver; the preview notes the three-seed is waiting — but the team has to show up to claim it.
Broadcast, logistics and a puzzling preview ending
The game is slated for the Moda Center at 9: 00 p. m. CST (10: 00 p. m. ET) on Feb. 24, 2026, with Peacock carrying the television feed and radio coverage available on KFAN FM, the Wolves App and iHeart Radio. The preview also records that Minnesota just beat Portland before the All-Star break. The written preview ends on an unfinished line — "A" — which is unclear in the provided context.
Minnesota’s immediate task is straightforward and concrete: recover from the perimeter breakdown that allowed 21 made threes, manage minutes and rotations without Gobert and Reid, and try to win consecutive road games in Portland and Los Angeles before the March 1 trip to Denver. The next confirmed events on the slate are the Feb. 24 game at Moda Center, followed by the Clippers game in L. A., and then the matchup in Denver on March 1.
